Key-action for musical instruments.



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BERNHARD R. KIESSIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO TI-IE AMERICAN MUSIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

KEY-ACTION FOR MUSICAL ENSTRUMENTS.

Specification of -Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application led February 3, 1906. Serial No. 299,336.

To all 1071/0717/ it H7/ty cm1/067%:

Be it known that I, BERNHARD R. Krnssie, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county oi Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and use- :lful Improvement in Key-Actions for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to key actions for musical instruments and the general object of the invention. is to provide a durable and. simply constructed key action which shall be positive in its movement and not liable to get out of order.

As contributory to the general object it is my purpose to provide a key action having a positive link or connecting rod connection between the hammer and the key so that the movement of the one will always positively control the movement of the other both on the forward and on the return stroke. In connection with and as ancillary to this, it is my purpose to produce a link connection between the key and hammer so constructed. that (.luring the forward or acting stroke of the key and hammerthe connecting link or rod shall be in tension, thus rendering it practical to employ a light metal piece for the connecting member, and at the same time produce a full throw of the hammer with but a slight movement o'f the adjacent extremity of the key.

Still another object is to provide means whereby the hammer may be iirmly mounted upon the shaft or bar soas to move in a plane transverse thereto without lateral play and uncertainty ot movement. Notwithstanding the tact that the hammer shank is very thin, axially, this object is accomplished by the eyelet or bushing hereinafter described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hammer stop for limiting the return vthrow of the hammer, said stop being carrieddirectly by the key and moving always in the opposite direction to the hammer head.

This application is in part a divisional one from theapplication iiled by me August 25, 1905, Serial No. 275,781. In this present application I have shown but do not claim a key support analogous to the one shown and claimed in said companion application.

I attain the objects of my present invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view oi a key action embodying my invention. For the sake of clearness only a single hammer and key are shown but it will be understood that in the complete device a number of these keys will be arranged side by side in the notches of the supporting block. Fig. 2 is a side view oi the key action shown in vertical section transverse to the axes of the key and hammer. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view drawn to enlarged. scale to show the connection between a key and a hammer. Fig. 4 is a 'fragmentary detail view taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 4L.

Similar letters relier to similar throughout the several views.

A fulcrum block a is mounted upon any suitable portion of the stationary frame work b and has a slot al and a series of slots a2 arranged parallel to each other and transverse to the slot al. Slots a2 are designed to loosely receive the shank or blades c1 oi' the keys c so that when the parts are assembled said keys will lie parallel and at the proper distance apart. Although it is not essential, I prefer to construct the key Shanks oil stamped metal and arrange them up on edge, that is with their width vertical, and when constructed in this manner the slots a2 will act as keepers or guides to assist in maintaining the keys in their proper positions. A preferred manner of supporting the shanks oi' the keys is to insert in each of them a pin c2 parts |which rests at the bottom of slot 0.1 and 'forms a `fulcrum for the key. The construction of the key and its support is not essontial as tar as my present purpose is concerned and the construction thereof may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of' this invention. A vertically adjustable key stop b1 is located beneath each key for limiting the movement thereof in the usual manner.

A tension spring d is attached at one end to 'frame work I; and at the other end to the key in such manner as to tend to hold the key in normal rest position. In the present construction the point of attachment ol the spring to the key is located between the fulcruin pin c2 and the point of attachment of ICO .looseness and torsional play.

the key to the connecting rod e hereinafter mentioned. A damper j' is carried by the key and is so arranged that when the key is in normal rest position the damper will contact the string g or other vibrating member which serves to emit sound. A hammer stop zy consisting of felt or other soft material is also carried directly by the key on the side of the fulcrum pin nearest the hammer. lt is mounted upon an arm hl which should be resilient so that it will yield. slightly when the hammer head and hammer stop Contact each other.

rlhe link or connecting rod e above mer.- tioned is a stiff metal link which is pivoted by means of a pin el to the operative extremity of the key, and is pivoted Aby mea-.1s of a pin e"l to the sh i i of the hammer. At the points of co ection, the hammer shaglvk, key shank and eonnectiig rod. preferably have flat surfaces adapted to come to a bearing against each other to thereby prevent The rod e is attached to the hammer shank e' on the opposite side of the fulcrum from the hammer fi/ and consequently said rod acts under tension during the forward stroke thus rendering the action positive ani at the saine time makizig it practical to employ a light piece of metal for a connectirg member. A stationary rod or bar j which is supported in the stationary arms or brackets y" constitutes a fulcrum for the hammers, and the pin cM7 is located at a distance from rod less than one sixth the distance between said rod and the striking point of the hammer head fil. rihe said connecting rod is attached to the key at a point between the key fulcruin and the hammer fulcrum and is attached to the hammer at a point between the ham merfulcrum and the key fulerum, the result being that the key and hammer always swing in opposite directions. As a result of this construction a sharp stroke on the key sets up ten.- sional strain in the connecting rod so that it pulls the hammer toward the string. This permits of a quick action and also a positive one and. the action is positive not onlyin the forward or down stroke of the hammer but also on the return stroke thereof when the parts are under the influence of spring d. The connection between the key ud hammer is positive under all circumstances and any movement of the key necessitates a correF spending movement of the hammer.

best design the hammer shanks 'i l In the consist of stamped metal arranged with their broad surfaces transverse to the axis of bar j. As this construction would afford very little bearing surface for the hammer shank on rod j, l. provide eyelet or bushing 7s best shown in Fig. 4. Said eyelet is arranged lengthwise on bar so as to have a firm bearing thereon and is pressed or soldered or otherwise secured to the hammer shank so as to be rigid therewith. T he hammer is thus afl'orded a substantial bearing upon its lulcrum rod.

ln operation, when the .finger portion of the key c is depressed the operative extremity thereof is raised, thereby raising the damper off of the string y and also raising the hammer stop 7i away from the hammer. Simultaneously the hammer is lowered onto the string` to set up vibration therein. Stop b1 is so adjusted that when the key is in contacttherewi Vh the hammer will occupy a position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2 in which the striking point of the hammer head is slightly distant from the string. ln the design here shown there are two provisions made for overthrow: First a fulcrum pin e2 may rise from. its bearing upon block a and second there is necessarily a slight and almost imperceptible looseness in the bearings upon the pivot pins @l and e2 which permits the parts to give slightly. As a result of these two provisions it occurs that the hammer will overthrow onto th\y string but will immediately be raised a slight distance therefrom even though the key may be maintained in a depressed position.

Viihat i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a key action the combination of a hammer, a fixed axis therefor, a pivotally supported key, and a substantially inflexible rod pivotally attached to said hammer and key, substantially as described.

2. in a key action. the combination of a hammer, a fixed axis therefor, a key, a rod forming a positive connection. between said hammer and key, and a support for said key, adapted to permit the key to rise slightly from said support to admit of overthrow in the hammer.

3. in. a key action the combination of a pivoted hammer, a key, means for p ivo tally supporting` said key, and a rod forming a positive connection. between said hammer and key, said hammer having a fixed axis and said key having a movable axis for the purpose described.

4. in a key action the combination of a hammer, a Ltixed axis therefor, a key adapted to swing about a movable axis, and a connecting rod articulately and positively attached to said hammer and key for transmitting movement from one to the other7 the point of attachment of said rod to said hammer being close to the axis of said haimner.

5. in a key action. the combination of a hammer, a fixed axis therefor, a key support, a key pivotally seated in said key support and adapted to rise from its seat therein. against the force of a spring, a spring 'for yieldiugly holding said key seated, and a rod articulately and positively connecting said hammer and key, said connecting rod being pivoted to said hammer at a point nearer to the hammer-pivot than one sixth the dis IOO tance between the hammer pivot and the striking point of the hammer..

6. In a key action the combination of a hammer, a fixed axis therefor, a key support, a key pivotally seated in said key support and adapted to rise from its seat therein and a rod articulately and positively connecting said hammer and key, said connecting rod being` pivoted to said hammer at a point thereon whose distance from the hammer pivot is less than one sixth the distance between the hammer pivot and the striking point of the hammer.

7. In a key action the combination of a set of pivotally supported keys, a set of hammers, rods articulately and positively connecting each key to a hammer, a key support adapted to permit the keys to rise slightly therefrom to permit overthrow, and a stationary rod whereon a plurality of said hammers are mounted.

8. In a key action, the combination of a hammer, a fixed pivot therefor, a key, a key support wherein said key is pivotally mounted in such manner that the key may rise from its support, a connecting rod pivotally attached to said key and to said hammer at a point near the pivot thereof, said rod being located between the hammer and key pivots so that said hammer and key swing in opposite directions, and a hammer stop connected to and movable with said key in directions opposite to said hammer for arresting the same.

9. In a key action, the combination of a hammer, a fixed pivot therefor, a key, a key support wherein said key is pivotally mount- .ed in such manner that the key may rise Vfrom1 its support, a connecting` rod pivotally attached to said key and to said hammer at a point near the pivot thereof, said rod being located between the hammer and key pivots so that said hammer and key swing` in opposite directions, and a hammer stop connected to and movable with said key in directions opposite to said hammer, said stop movingI in the path of the hammer and being thereby adapted to arrest the latter at the end of the back stroke thereof.

l0. In a key action, the combination of a hammer, a fixed support therefor, a substantially inflexible rod pivotally attached to said hammer at a point closer to the hammerpivot than one sixth the distance between the hammer-pivot and the striking point of the hammer, and a pivotally supported key pivoted to said rod, said rod thereby positively connecting said hammer and key and the point of attachment of the rod to the hammer shank being on the opposite side of the fulcrum from the hammer head.

l1. In a key action the combination of a hammer, a fixed pivot therefor, a pivotally supported key and a connecting,- rod having a positive pivot connection with both hammer and key, said rod being located between the key support and hammer support, the point of attachment of said connecting rod to said hammer being closer to the hammer support than the striking point of the hammer, and said point of attachment being,` on the opposite side of the fulcrum from the hammer head.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

BERNHARD R. KIESSIG. Witnesses HOWARD M, Cox, DWIGHT B. Cimnvnn. 

